The running joke in this part of Nevada is Reno is so close to Hell, you can see Sparks. That’s the name of the town directly east of the Biggest Little City in the World, and like many western bumps in the road, Sparks owes its initial existence to the Southern Pacific Railroad. They built a yard and maintenance facility in what was then Harriman, Nevada, but it was renamed after the governor of the state, John Sparks, in a political move to avoid tariffs and such (it didn’t work).

During February of 1944 (World War II) the railroad yard opened a major engine repair shop and the photographs from that time were eventually donated to the Nevada State Library and Archives. There is no accompanying text but I believe this building belongs to a private company now that is no longer associated with railroads. Today, the yard is just east of John Ascuaga’s Nugget, a casino that is probably town’s biggest employer outside of the government. These photographs remind us of another era when hard manual labor built the town of Sparks and the western United States of America.

(Sparks is one of five Nevada towns where I spent my misbegotten youth, and I remember when there was space between the two Washoe County municipalities, but no more. Both towns eventual grew outwards and towards each other.)

The John Nulty Collection at the Nevada State Library and Archives is an old friend to this blog. Pictures from his works have appeared in five other posts (list below) because I am an admirer of his photography and craftmanship.

These pictures look at the faded glory that was once the V&T Railroad in Carson City or, more specifically, the buildings and properties of the V&T after the line shut down, the engines left town, and rails been pulled up. No narrative is needed nor could it better capture these lasting images of an era gone by and a way of life forever locked in the past.

As always, please credit the Nevada State Library and Archives if you choose to use these or any photos from the John Nulty Collection.

More John Nulty Photographs:
Veterans Housing in Carson City
View on High
A Plaza is Born
Bird’s Eye View
Old Nevada

M J & E in 1953.

I have been wracking my brain all week in preparation for this post because today is the one year anniversary of my mother’s death.

I got nothing.

At work, my job is to solve complex questions and do that by breaking them down to their tiniest pieces and solving them upwards. In other words, every small solution is geared towards solving the bigger question. If the small answer veers away from the premise or the need, then it’s the wrong solution.

In matters of emotion, though, it seems there is no simple solution to complex problems or personalities. And my mother was certainly a complex personality, so much so, she was different things to different people. She was a loving daughter and sister, a passionate acolyte in her religion, a tireless advocate for less popular causes, and the most significant person I knew in my first 18 years of life.

It’s been said the mother shapes the boy and the wife shapes the man. In that, I was lucky to have a parent who taught me to appreciate a loving and lasting relationship. Twenty-seven years later, I am truly blessed to be married to the best person I’ve ever met. When it’s all said and done, that was the most valuable lesson I learned from my mother.

Thanks, Mom. And rest well.

My food log says this is Day 343 of the Big Diet and, naturally, I feel like a fat slob today but there’s a world of difference between feeling 227-slobbish and 265-slobbish.

(For you first-time readers drawn to this blog by the below McKeen Car post, that’s 227 on a 6’5” frame.)

There’ll be a bigger post around Day 365 but here’s a summarization:

Using blame and excuses is crappy self-absolution for bad habits. You and only you are responsible for the kind of food you eat and for your exercise habits. Be strong. Live Strong.

(I’ll make that less condescending and without the Lance Armstrong lameness in a couple of weeks. It won’t be less true, though.)

If you’re a fan of the railroads of yesteryear, then you should be following Scott’s blog over at Around Carson where he discusses the restoration of the V&T’s old McKeen Car. He combines history with old and new pictures alike, and it’s been fascinating to see the meticulous work done by the restoration engineers at the Nevada State Railroad Museum.

Last week, the NSRM staff drove the car outside and snapped a couple of pictures which I hope get publicized soon. In the meantime, one of The Bride’s colleagues at the Nevada State Library and Archives took some pictures on the same day and she graciously granted me permission to post them here. If you want to see all of the pictures, then go to my Flickr page and click on the “Old Nevada” link.

The grand old lady of the V&T is looking pretty good and I can hardly wait to see it in person.

Legalese: These pictures were taken at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City, Nevada, on October 15, 2009. Photographer: Susan Searcy of the Nevada State Library and Archives. Permission to post was granted by the photographer. Please credit the photographer and the NSRM and the NSLA in all usage. Thank you.